"Romney's campaign Monday said for the first time that the presumptive Republican nominee would like to see the production tax credit (PTC) lapse as scheduled at the end of this year (E&E Daily, July 31). That position puts him at odds with Republicans in states like Iowa that want to see the credit extended, and it is a harder line than had been taken by many senior GOP lawmakers, who have said the credit should phase out over a number of years.

The position Romney's campaign has staked out, which ties opposition to the credit to his broader criticism of Obama's support for renewable energy, also may backfire among voters in states with large wind industries, Democrats hope. At the same time, his stand generated cheers yesterday from conservative groups like Americans for Tax Reform and the Club for Growth, which praised him precisely for taking a position that could be politically unpopul"